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Monthly Archives: April 2017

I was reading the introduction that my bible included before the book of Philippians, and it dawned on me. Paul was writing this from jail, but the last time he was in jail he was broken out, right? But then I did a little bit of reading in Acts trying to find any mention of Paul being in jail, and I didn’t find any. And it’s because it was the apostles that were locked up in Acts: 5, and Peter in Acts: 12. But I think that makes for an even more compelling perspective on God’s divine decision making.

Why would God choose to release the apostles and Peter, but no Paul? I’m sure Paul wished with all his heart that God would send an angel down to release him from the chains that he was bound with. But why didn’t He?

We will never know the answer. I’m sure Paul, a truly faithful man, was quoting scripture left and right, crying out to God at times. I’m sure that He was seeking for an answer with all of his heart. But God relented.

The same thing might be happening to you. God might have put you in a non-ideal situation that you want out of, but He has you there for a reason. Paul wrote some of the most incredible books of the bible while under house arrest in Rome. Maybe that’s why God has you in the place that He does, to get something out of you. To help you realize something. Sometimes we will never know, but it’s important to continually give God the glory that he deserves even in your pain and suffering. That is surely something I can consider the next time I am confused by where God is leading me.

Romans 14:14-18 “…I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.”

I think this is a great principle to consider when living out your life as a Christian in today’s society. Some people think it’s okay to cuss as a believer, “there’s nowhere in the bible that says it’s wrong!”, well yes. Cussing is not the 11th commandment, but I still think it’s not right for us to be walking around cussing like a sailor. Our society tells us that certain words are bad, such as I can’t say “Gosh” around my little nephews because their parents have deemed that a bad word. So, out of respect, I don’t say that around them. We should have the same mentality in our daily speech with cuss words, out of respect for the way that society looks at Christians, we should not allow “what we consider good to be spoken of as evil.”